


Song of the Stars

by AloneShadow



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst and Feels, Comfort... well kind of, Hurt/Comfort, I Will Go Down With This Train of Feels, If you finished FFXV you know what I mean..., Possible Post-Ending scene, SPOILERS ABOUT THE MAIN STORY, The bros were put so damn undertone in the last part of the game I had to write something by myself, goddammit Square and the mess of feels you randomly thrown in this game, mild spoilers about Ignis DLC, sad fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 16:41:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13057995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AloneShadow/pseuds/AloneShadow
Summary: “Maybe he wanted to say that you'll be able to find your way, even now. And if you feel lost, you just need to remember where to look.”





	Song of the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> This piece of story was hunting me since I finished the game, but I actually never even tried to write it down and thank the Gods I waited for the last dlc to come out because after I completed it I was once again a mess of tears and emotions and this little fic came out of it pretty fast.  
> I never _dared_ to write any fics about the Final Fantasy's universe, but if you know FFXV, there's a lot left unsaid- and I mean A LOT, despite the DLCs now fixed most of the big plot-holes, and I thank Square Enix for not giving up on it, because the story, after all, it is really good. (Except the alternative ending. Really. It could've been good, but honestly not that good for the story and it just messed up my brain even more.)
> 
> This piece in the specific is post-ending and bros-centric because I simply can't stand how they were left behind so quietly. Writing this fic, I actually started to think that there wasn't much to say anymore, at that point, but still... that just makes it even sadder, SO also because of that, here's my attempt to cope with all the tears I cried over this story.
> 
> Once again, this WHOLE fic is a MASSIVE SPOILER ABOUT THE ENDING OF THE GAME.

_“I always loved the night in Insomnia. I loved to stay outside, even when it was cold, just to watch the stars above me. They were so bright in the darkness… it felt like they were protecting me- no matter what could happen, I would always find them there for me. A silent guide I would never lose._

_It took me a while, but eventually, I discovered you were nothing like the others used to think. You were as bright as the stars in the darkest night, not cold nor distant. I stopped looking at the stars because the brightest one wasn’t in the sky… I was lucky enough to find it right next to me._

_I always wished it could stay that way forever. That you would keep protecting me- and that I could do the same, somehow, after we left our home._

_We stayed away from Insomnia for so long… It was hard to think about the life we all spent there, in the past. Everything is different now: cold, dark, and shattered into pieces, and yet you didn’t stopped. Our Prince walked tall, without fear… Our King._

_I didn’t say anything. The void you left in our hearts when you disappeared into the crystal, the joy to see you coming back, the despair that choked me when I realized what your return would’ve meant… I shut everything down._

_I could barely look at you that last night, in front of the campfire. You were ready to face your destiny- but I wasn’t. I wish I was. I wish I said something. I wanted to scream, to cry, to run away and take you with me… but I didn’t. so I followed you… There wasn’t anything else I could do._

_I kept telling myself it was your decision to take; it was your destiny- your life. I kept fighting with you, trying to do what you would expect from me, trying to accept that you-_

_I tried. I tried my best, and I give you all the lies we needed to keep going because the last thing I wanted was being remembered as the one that betrayed you at the very end of our journey._

_I wasn’t proud of us- of me. I wasn’t happy for the memories. I wanted to burn all the pictures because now they look just like a sick joke._

_I wish I was brave enough to stop you. Stop you and ask you not to go- beg you not to go, to wait, to let the night continue forever because I would never be scared if you were with us- with me._

_Would you have stayed if I asked? Would you have been disappointed of me?_

_The sad part is that I know the answer. That’s the only reason why I didn’t say anything. You were ready; you knew what had to be done… I would have ruined everything, crying and begging…_

_I wonder if the others felt the same. Maybe we all wished we could be selfish, for once. The only one time we couldn’t be, sadly._

_We kept fighting after you left, as we silently promised. We didn’t leave you. We didn’t wanted to, so we stayed, the closest to you we were allowed to._

_I tried to focus only on the sound of my guns- firing bullets after bullets, the shots echoing in the plaza along with the sound of the swords and magic… I tried to ignore all the rest, to convince myself that nothing was happening, that I wasn’t there and that you were not-_

_But then… then something hit me. I don’t even know what or who it was, but I fell down and hit my back hard on the cold pavement. It was incredibly silent all of sudden, no monsters growling, no guns, nor swords._

_It was all quiet, and then I opened my eyes and looked at the stars blinking in the black sky and for the first time after years, I begged them to protect you, to save you, to grant me one last miracle..._

_I knew no one was hearing my prayers when the sky started to change color, and I saw the stars slowly fading into the light."_

 

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

 

Ignis slowly turned on his side, a hand lingering over his head, trying to understand if there was blood through his messy hair- it probably was. He then blinked and started patting the ground, searching for his glasses- for how stupid and useless it could be.

When his fingers hit them, an image flashed in the darkness he was used to live since the battle in Altissia- the same images that instilled in him pure fear and pain since then.  
He suddenly felt the air was different. The atmosphere around himself wasn’t as heavy as when they stepped into Insomnia for the first time, after more than ten years… 

“Gladio…? Prompto?” He called trying to stand, and the hand that grabbed hard his shoulder managed to make him flinch, dropping his glasses- and almost _hope_ , just for a second. 

“The monsters’ gone,” Gladio said, his serious and low voice close to his face. “You’re hurt?” He asked, retrieving the glasses from the ground to give them back to him.

“I’m fine. Where’s- where is Prompto?” He asked, touching the broken glass under his fingers.

“’Don’t know. I lost him when-“ 

Ignis waited for him to finish, but nothing else came. “Let’s find him, then.” He said and straightened his back with a little groan at the pain flaring from his side. He made few steps, but heard no one following him, so he turned around. “Gladio?” he called, but there was no answer. He couldn’t see him, but he knew the man was still there. It was terribly frustrating: the darkness he couldn’t escape, and now Gladio’ silence… he knew what that silence meant, but he couldn’t- they couldn’t stop yet. “Please. Help me find Prompto.” 

Gladio looked away from the sky, his face almost contorting in the attempt to stay cold. “Yeah.” 

They waited so long for that moment- the reason for the journey they started so many years before… Now the time has finally come, the journey was over, but there was no one celebrating it. No smiles, no happiness. Only a deep aching pain looking at their destroyed city, and the sad feeling that what they did hadn't been enough. 

“Prompto!” Ignis called out, standing in the middle of the ruined bridge connecting the Royal Palace to the city on the other side of the gigantic walls. “He was fighting close to me, he shouldn’t be far…” 

“Maybe he fell down,” Gladio said, moving to check the area under the bridge and sighed in relief. “There he is,” he said before looking better at the blonde that was limping his way up the stairs to come back in the square in front of the Royal Palace, “Shit.” 

“What? Is he alright?” Ignis asked hearing Gladio running away, so he did the same, fast as he could. 

Once on top of the stairs, visibly out of breath, Prompto let go of the banister to move forward, just to fall down on his knees with a yelp of pain. 

Ignis almost tripped on Gladio when the man slowed down to a stop, but quickly surpassed him and moved a hand in search of his young friend- that grabbed it after a moment. 

“I’m ok,” Prompto said, but the other two notice something strange in his voice. 

“You’re not. You’re bleeding.” Gladio stated, staring at the blood visible through his blonde hair. 

“It’s nothing.” 

Ignis tried to grab his shoulder and say something, but the other was already standing up, and he heard Gladio ask “Where you goin’?” but no answer came.

Prompto kept limping away, heading to the stairs of the Palace. He didn’t care if he was going to bleed to death. He didn’t care of anything anymore. 

“Prompto.” Gladio’s voice was a command now, and it managed to stop him, but not to make him turn around. “Where are you going?” he asked again, standing two steps behind him. 

“Try to guess.” 

Ignis already knew- probably they both knew, but no one couldn’t manage to say the words. 

“I need to-“ Prompto stopped, then tried again, looking at the gigantic building standing there in the dim light that was slowly getting stronger and stronger. “I have to see.” 

“No, you don’t,” Gladio said moving in front of him, face angry, but hard to say against who. “There’s nothing to see.” 

“But I-“ 

“What exactly you’re expecting to find?” The King’ Shield asked. 

Prompto didn’t wanted to talk- didn’t wanted to say it, but he knew Gladio wasn’t going to give up easily. “I don’t know. That’s why we should-“ 

“You know what happened. We all know. Don’t come up with some bullshits of yours, now. Don’t even try it.” 

“I just want to be sure. We _have_ to be sure-“ 

“The sky over his stupid head isn’t enough?” Gladio roared. “You need to see his dead body torn into pieces to believe what happened?” 

Prompto felt every word like a knife slashing into his chest, reaching his heart. Yet, he didn’t look down. He didn’t move. 

“Gladio,” Ignis stood behind the blonde, “We should-“ 

“No one is going in there, now.” Gladio hissed. “No one.” 

“What if he’s waiting for us?” Prompto said, trying to contain his own shaking. “What if-“ 

“If you dare to say that one more time-“ 

“I won’t, but I need- we need to be sure!” 

“There is nothing to be sure about! Nothing can change what happened!” 

Prompto stared angrily at him. “You can’t stop me just because you’re scared.” He said coldly and walked ahead, but Gladio pushed him back, making him fall against Ignis that promptly hold him. “I’m not leaving him again,” Prompto said, and again the other stopped him, this time with a punch in the face. 

“Gladio, that’s enough!” Ignis roared at him, helping the other to stand. 

“I said no one will enter the Palace.” 

Prompto freed himself from Ignis’ grasp, ignoring the throbbing pain from his cheek. “I don’t take orders from you.” He hissed at the Shield of the King and surpassed him again. When Gladio grabbed his arm, Prompto summoned one of his guns and aimed at his head, both blink in surprise, but just for a second. “L-let me go.” 

“Can you listen to me for once?” Gladio insisted angrily, “You won’t find anything in there.” 

“Then let me go!” the blonde screamed, both anger and sadness in his voice. 

They stared at each other for another moment, until Gladio harshly let go his arm. 

They stared at each other for a moment before Prompto turned around, limping his way up the long staircase to the Palace’s broken entrance. Once inside, he stopped again, the silence in there interrupted only by the ruins casually moving and the wind passing through the cracks. He blinked away the tears from his eyes and moved the hand still keeping the gun in front of him, staring at it while the weapon slowly faded in silent, shining little fragments, leaving his hand empty in few seconds. He pressed his lips into a tight line and shook his head, staggering ahead inside the Palace, heading to the throne room. 

 

He knew the Palace so well, he could’ve easily sneak inside from multiple different ways. He did, actually, in the past, to bring snacks to the Prince when he had to stay there for some time or to help him escape for a while. 

_“I’m surprised Gladio haven't killed you yet,”_ the Prince once commented listening about the secret passages- but with an intrigued smile on his face.

Thinking about it now, probably both Gladio and Ignis knew about those passages- maybe even the King himself, but they all trusted him enough to let him sneak in and out, if that would have made the Prince smile more often. 

A flash of pain from his injured head called Prompto back to the present, leaning against the wall, hardly keeping down a little cry of pain that could’ve easily become a complete breakdown, and he had no time for that. Not yet.

Limping through the last little waiting room, he stopped at the beginning of the thin corridor leading to the throne room’s door blocked by the remains of the fallen ceiling. 

Prompto took a deep breath and moved forward, staring at the situation for a moment, unsure of what to do, but unable to call out to his friend for help. He slowly started moving away the pieces of stone, thinking of nothing, focusing only on his breathing, ignoring the pain flashing from his head and the little, red drops of blood falling from his temple.

“You know, I don’t like see you guys fighting because of me.” 

Prompto froze and looked at the fragments of door he could see through the remains. His eyes full of tears in a second. “Noct…?” 

A deep sigh. “Yeah.” 

Prompto lowered his head against the cold stone, almost laughing hysterically between fast, deep breaths. “Dude, you- you can’t do something like this and then just come out with a _yeah_.” 

“I know… Sorry.” 

“I thought you- we all thought you were-“ 

“And yet you’re here.” 

“Of course I am! I’m-“ He breathed out a little, tense laugh, changing the subject. “How are you? You’re ok?” 

A little pause. “I’m fine. What about you, guys?”

“Just some bruise, nothing to worry about,” Prompto said, letting a big piece of ceiling rolling away. 

“Did I… Did I make it? The night ended?” 

“Yes. You saved the world, buddy.” Prompto smiled, ignoring the blood flowing down his neck. 

Another deep breath. “Good. That’s… that’s good.” 

“It sure is, but find you here it’s even better.” The other said, shaking his head, “Gladio won’t believe it. He was sure you were dead… they’re going to have a heart attack.” 

“I bet they would.” 

“I told him we had to be sure. It wasn’t- it wouldn’t be fair…” 

“What you mean?” 

“To lose you like this. I- we should’ve stopped you.” 

Another moment of silence. “There was no other way, you know that.” 

“Yeah, I know, but-“ Prompto stopped for a second, breathing hard, staring at the last pieces of ceiling to move away from the door. “I wish I was strong enough to- to do more. You risked so much for us... I felt so damn useless.” 

“Useless?” A soft laugh, “Prom, you’re a lot of things, but not useless. I wouldn’t have had the strength to do any of this if it wasn’t for you, guys.” 

Prompto smiled a bit and got back to work. “How was it?” 

“Huh?” 

“To kick Ardyn’s ass.” 

A laugh, now a bit stronger. “Satisfying.” He sighed, “Liberating. And- sad.” 

“Sad? Really?” 

“I knew my battle was over...” 

“And you won, your Majesty,” Prompto snorted and stared at the ruined door, now finally free. He pushed to open it, but it moved just an inch, more remains on the other side too. “Damn it… Are you hurt? Can you try to move it?” 

“Hey, Prom…” 

“What?” 

“Keep looking at the stars, ok?” 

Prompto froze, searching for him in the little space he could look through. “Noct?” he called but got no answer. “Noct? Noct, what are you-“ 

“Prompto?” 

He looked back in the corridor and found Ignis frowning lightly at him. “Iggy! Noct is in there! He- he’s alive!” he yelled, trying to move the door away. “He’s still alive- he’s just behind this door-“ one last push and the door finally moved enough to let him squeeze through, almost tripping on the ruins. “Noct!” He looked around but found no one. He looked back at Ignis that was trying to follow and he instinctively moved back to help him cross the remains blocking the way. “He’s here, Iggy, I swear! I talked to him just a second ago!” 

“Prompto, it’s-“ 

“He’s here!” he said again, leaving him. “Noct, where are you? I swear, he just-” he called walking forward and froze again when his eyes moved up to the King’s throne. 

Ignis moved closer, his hand gently grabbing his shoulder, to be sure he was there- to remind him he wasn’t alone. He didn’t need to see what his friend just saw, but he could feel him shaking under his grasp.

“I talked with him,” he whispered again, “I just talked to him… Noct was here, o-on the other side of the door...” 

“Prompto-“ 

“I’m not lying, he was here! That- that can’t be-” 

Ignis cupped his face in his hands, trying the best he could to calm both of them. “I believe you. I believe you talked with him. I’m glad you could.” 

Prompto stared into his gray, damaged eyes, and the tears he tried so hard to contain slowly, inevitably, started to fall down. 

“Please… stay here.” Ignis said quietly, gently letting him go. 

Prompto didn’t moved an inch, watching his friend slowly walk up the stairs and reach the throne, so carefully, as if he perfectly knew where to go and how to move, but afraid to do so. 

Ignis stopped next to the throne, taking a deep breath before moving a shaking hand to the body sitting there, under the dim light coming from outside. He softly grabbed a shoulder, and then closed his eyes, slowly bowing on one knee, his hand moving from the shoulder to the arm resting immobile on the throne. His silent sobs barely audible in the destroyed room. 

Prompto stood there, watching his best friend- his King sitting on his throne, the sword still stuck in front of him after his last sacrifice. A sound made him turn around and he found Gladio standing next to him, face stone cold. 

The Shiled’s King stared up, and then bowed on one knee as well, head bent down. A hand moved up a moment later, shielding his eyes. 

Prompto looked sadly at him, unable to stop his own tears. He dropped to his knees as well, hesitantly hovering a hand over him until Gladio’s arm dragged him closer without say a word. Prompto felt his large body shaken by quiet sobs, so he slowly hugged him, crying over his shoulder while the light of a new day was announcing the whole world that the Night was over, the darkness has been defeated.  
The True King was dead.

 

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

 

Ignis walked slowly along the thin, irregular road, feeling stones and grass creaking under his shoes until he reached the clear area from where most of Insomnia was visible… the same spot where their lives changed forever and their real journey started- and where it ended.

He took a deep breath and moved forward until he felt a slight warmth washing over himself. “I thought I was late.” 

Prompto didn’t looked up, sitting on one of their old camp-chair, staring at the city far away; hands hidden in his jacket pockets, legs stretched in front of him, close to the little fire. 

“You didn’t wanted to say goodbye to anyone?” Ignis continued while the fire reflected over his elegant suit in golden little flashes. 

“I don’t like goodbyes.” 

“No one usually does.” 

Prompto sighed and looked down at the fire, then moved another chair close to him. 

“Oh. Thank you.” Ignis grabbed it and sat down. A smile crossed his lips. “I thought we would never sit like this ever again.” 

“We’re in two, then.” The other murmured, then asked, “It was that obvious where to find me?” 

“I had a few places in mind, but then I thought about the one I would have chosen if I was going to leave.” 

“It never crosses your mind?” Prompto asked looking at him, “To leave?” and he was surprised when no answer came for a long moment. 

“I thought my mission was over three days ago, with the return of the light…” 

_With Noctis’ death_. Prompto looked down at the angry, cold thought. 

“Despite how much I have missed this city in the last years… Now it’s rather difficult to look at it the same way I did before.” Ignis sighed and looked at the other as if he could see the surprise showed on his face. “Still, Insomnia is my home. When I accepted to protect Noctis, I accepted to protect the future of this place… Our King gave his own life to do so. The least I can do now, is to keep my word.” 

“Noct would never force you to stay, you know?” 

“No, of course. But I doubt he would openly asked me to stay, either.” 

Prompto looked back at the city. “’Guess I’ll disappoint him, then.” 

“I doubt about that too.” 

“I’m the one leaving. You guys don’t.” 

Ignis gently fixed the glasses on his nose, then said, “No one can force you to stay, as well. If you need some time on your own, I perfectly understand your decision.” 

Prompto huffed a sad, little laugh. “I’m sure Gladio won’t be so indulgent.” 

The other smiled a bit. “You know him. Gladio- I think he wish he was strong enough to turn around and leave. Somehow, he’s jealous of you.” 

“You think it was an easy choice for me?” 

“I know it wasn’t, and Gladio knows that too,” Ignis said, his voice controlled, calm as always. “But he’s one of the few that _can’t_ leave now. There’s so much to do… to rebuild.” He sighed, “We are stronger together, we learn that in the past, but I assure you, no one is judging you for leaving.” 

“Not sure about that,” Prompto hissed, standing up to walk away from the fire, closer to the edge of the cliff. 

“It’s your choice.” 

“And I know it’s the wrong one! Even without Gladio coming here to scream at me what a coward I am- how pathetic I am.” Prompto’s anger quickly flowed away, leaving him empty and resigned. 

“After all this time, you really think so little of him?” Ignis asked, standing as well, his face blank. 

The blonde just stared at him before shaking his head, looking at the city again. “I can’t stay for the funeral,” he murmured sadly. “I don’t want to see him.” 

Ignis knew what he meant, and it took more effort than he thought to keep his face blank. “No one will be mad at you about it. Gladio might be, at first, but he will understand, eventually.” 

Prompto sighed, then saw him turn around to leave. “Iggy-“ he called more ungently that he intended, making some steps toward him that stopped and looked back, a bit alarmed by the tone. “I’m sorry.” 

He frowned, “What for?” 

“That night, when we- when I entered the throne room, I told you- I told you that Noct was alive, but- you guys knew it couldn’t be true.” Prompto took a deep breath, hating himself for stuttering. He had grown up; he stopped talking like that years before, and still… 

Probably feeling his discomfort, Ignis moved closer as well. “There’s no need-“ 

“And I knew that too. I knew it before entering the palace and I knew it when I saw the door, but- but then I heard him. I swear I heard him. I talked with him and when I told you he was alive, it was because I was _sure_ Noct was right there, on the other side of that door.” He tried to keep down the tension that was making his voice tremble. “It wasn’t a joke. I would never-“ 

“Prompto, the thought of you were making fun of us, that day, never crossed my mind,” Ignis said calmly. “And as I told you before, I believe you talked with him. After everything we’ve bee through, I would be surprised if Noct hadn't tried to say goodbye one last time… and be sure he hadn't failed his mission.” He looked down, a sad smile on his face, “I wish I believed in him like you did. Maybe I could’ve thanked him as well.” 

"I told him he made it... that he saved us." Prompto took a deep breath before speaking again. “He said he would have never make it without us...” 

Ignis head moved up again, lips partly open. 

“And that kicking Ardyn’s ass has been satisfying, and liberating- and sad, because he knew…“ Prompto’s voice lowered and stopped there, leaving the sentence unfinished. He then shook his head, in resignation. “I should’ve noticed… He also said he didn’t wanted to see us fighting because of him. He knew me and Gladio were arguing before, and how could he know about that? He- he wasn’t even there. It took me so long to understand...” Looking up, he saw Ignis sitting down on the chair again, a hand under his glasses, covering his eyes. “I-I’m sorry, Iggy,” he said worriedly, stepping closer. “I’m really-“ 

“Please, stop apologizing.” The other said with a slight, sad smile on his face. “I should thank you, for sharing this with me.” 

The blonde sighed apologetically, again. “I should’ve told you what he said right away. I just- couldn’t.” 

“I understand. Don’t worry.” Ignis took a deep breath, “Did he- did Noctis said something else?” 

After a moment, Prompto nodded. “He told me to keep looking at the stars.” 

“The stars?” 

He shrugged. “Yeah. That’s- that’s when I get it, actually. I never really talked about that with anyone, not even with Noct.” He saw him nod in silence, but there was no point in hiding the rest of the story anymore. “It’s- it was a thing I used to do when I was little, before knowing Noct and all of you... you know, looking at the stars when I was sad, or- or lonely. It was stupid, but it always helped me feel better. As I had some kind of guide when I felt-” Prompto stopped and blinked in surprise, realizing what he just said. _A guide when I felt lost_.

Ignis was smiling again, one of his rare, warm smiles. “Maybe Noct wanted to say that you'll be able to find your way, even now. And if you feel lost, you just need to remember where to look.” 

Prompto blinked and instinctively looked up at the night sky: the stars were shining above them, and- maybe it was just because of the tears in his eyes, but one seemed to shine brighter than the others, silently, but constantly watching over them, even in the darkest nights to come.


End file.
